Xenos
by Asteria
Summary: Who are the real monsters on a colony world in the grip of extreme xenophobia?
1. The Prisoner

Xenos

By Asteria

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who.

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Prologue

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The prisoner had broken loose twice already, so the guards, Marcos and Sanford, had simply picked it up to transport it to the subbasement cells. The prisoner was stronger than it looked, thrashing and writhing in their grip, twisting to get free and shouting in its tiny, high-pitched voice.

"I haven't done anything," it cried. "Please! Let me go! I'm as Human as you are!"

That last was too much for Sanford and he shook the prisoner hard.

"Don't insult us, sneak," he growled. "You're not even worth the trouble to hold. If it was up to me your kind would just be lined up and shot down."

"Calm down, Sanford," said Marcos, trying to keep hold of the situation.

The prisoner stopped struggling and turned impenetrable dark eyes on Sanford.

"I was wrong," it said calmly. "I'm much more Human than you."

"Sneak bitch!" Sanford yelled, dropping the prisoner and reaching for his service pistol.

"Sanford!" Marcos shouted at his partner. "It's just a sneak. You really want the extra paperwork for shooting it without probable cause? Let's just drop it in the Hole and forget about it."

Sanford smiled grimly and took hold of the prisoner again.

"You may be on to something, Marcos," he conceded. "Anyway, it's sSarcha. Only a matter of time before it does something to justify a bullet to the brain."

The two guards picked up the prisoner and resumed their journey. Neither of the guards registered that the prisoner had stopped struggling, or the expression of barely contained fury on its face.


	2. The Colony

Xenos

By Asteria

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who.

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Chapter 1

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"Where have we landed this time?" Tegan asked with resigned exasperation, knowing the answer was going to be 'not Heathrow.'

"The late 32nd Century," the Doctor replied distractedly, fiddling with the controls. "The colony of New New York, apparently."

"Not very creative."

"No, but it gets the point across. So, shall we go out and have a look?"

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The four travelers stepped out of the TARDIS into dappled shade. They had materialized in the middle of a stand of trees at the end of a long, sunlit park flanked by busy streets and tall buildings. No one seemed to take any notice of them as they walked along the neat gravel path that twisted through the lush grass, past perfectly ordinary people. Tegan was distinctly underwhelmed; if not for the clothes and the electric cars buzzing along the streets beside the park, they could have been in her own time.

"If this is New New York," began Nyssa, interrupting Tegan's reverie, "is there an Old New York?"

"Yes, on Earth, but its just called New York," the Doctor replied. "Actually, since this is the 32nd Century, it's probably New New New New York. The other two New New Yorks are on different colonies in different parts of the galaxy."

"Is there an Old York?"

"Also on Earth, in a different country. Keep up, Adric!"

Adric, who had slowed nearly to a stop looking at a group of girls sunning in practically-nonexistant bikinis, hurried to catch up. Tegan caught Nyssa's eye and they both stifled giggles; some things never changed.

"What now, Doctor?" Adric asked hurriedly.

"Well, I think we could all use a break after Deva Loka. How does a day or two playing tourist sound to everyone?"

Nyssa, Tegan, and Adric looked at each other. A break would be nice, Tegan thought, just wandering around a city, not running from anything, no monsters, no worries.

"That sounds relaxing," said Nyssa.

"I'm in," said Tegan.

"It _would_ make a change," said Adric.

"Wonderful!" exclaimed the Doctor, turning and striding purposefully down the path. "Let's find out what people in the 32nd Century do for fun!"

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At the end of the park was a long, low building with a large sign reading "New New York City Museum of History" with a banner draped below it that read "Centennial Year 3084-3184."

The Doctor paused and looked up at the building.

"This looks like a good place to start."

"A museum?" Tegan asked. "You have a strange idea of fun, Doc."

The Doctor gave Tegan a look as though she had just kicked his dog (which Adric had told her was a robot that the Doctor had once tripped over while trying to avoid tripping over his scarf.)

"Museums are interesting, Tegan. We'll find out a bit more about the colony. Don't you want to see what your descendants have been up to for the last twelve hundred and three years?"

"The rate we're going I won't get home in time to _have_ descendants," Tegan muttered as she, Nyssa, and Adric followed the Doctor into the museum.

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The entrance hall of the museum was climate-controlled and brightly lit. They joined a queue of bored-looking schoolchildren being waved one-at-a-time through a metal arch by an equally bored-looking security guard.

"A metal detector?" Tegan asked quietly. "In a museum?"

"Probably more of a general weapon scanner," the Doctor corrected gently. "Don't want anyone sneaking in a gun or a bomb. Oh dear, I hope we aren't asked to empty our pockets; we'd be here all day."

They passed through the scanner without incident, but hadn't even gotten halfway across the entrance hall when a woman wearing a uniform identifying her as New New York City Police approached them.

"Could the four of you come with me, please?" the officer asked in a deceptively mild American accent.

The Doctor gave his most disarming smile.

"Is there a problem, officer…" his eyes flicked to her name badge "… Avery?"

Officer Avery was not taken in by the Doctor's charm.

"That wasn't a request," Avery said, deliberately resting a hand on the pistol at her hip. "Quietly. Let's not scare the kids."


End file.
